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Confused about AVR outputs and multi-channel speakers (1 Viewer)

svaric2

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john
Hello, HTF community! First time poster here with experience in car audio looking to put a medium-budget home theater together.


I'll cut straight to the chase.


My l/r mains are a set of Linkwitz Plutos. The tweeter and midbass of each (L/R) need separate channels. This means 4 channels for my L/R speakers. I'm thinking of a pair of bookshelf speakers for the rear surrounds, and 2 subs. No center.


Would I be able to drive each with its own EQ'd and crossover'd channel out of, say, a Denon 4520, leaving me with 5 channels to drive a pair of surrounds and 2 subs? Does the Audyssey allow for such a configuration?

In other words telling it that two channels make up L-main and two channels make up R-main?


If not I'd need to buy a miniDSP and separate amps to power the mains as one channel each.


Just trying to save some dinero. :)



Thanks all!
 

gene c

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No receiver I know of applies any crossover to the speaker level outputs. or the pre-outs, except the subwoofer output of course.


The only way to come close to what I think you're trying to do would be to use the receivers bi-amp capability and then buy a couple of outboard crossovers. That might get you half way there.


Edit: Bi-amping uses the Surround Back channels to send the exact same signal as the Front speaker outputs. But the Audyssey EQ would be assigned equally to the Fronts and the Surround Back outputs. The volume levels would also be the same.
 

svaric2

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Wait, Gene, are you saying the speaker outs of receivers aren't high/low-passed? So for example, subbass is sent to surrounds instead of the signal being highpassed? That seems a bit odd.


I was hoping the speaker outs were more flexible in their assignments. Like a multi-channel DSP or something. You'd think this wouldn't be that difficult of a feature to implement. :(


Anyone else?
 

schan1269

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First...

AVR don't power subs anymore.

Second...

There is no AVR, at all, by anybody, at any price, that can bi-amp a pair of speakers and provide another crossover for subwoofers.
 

gene c

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svaric2 said:
Wait, Gene, are you saying the speaker outs of receivers aren't high/low-passed? So for example, subbass is sent to surrounds instead of the signal being highpassed? That seems a bit odd.


I was hoping the speaker outs were more flexible in their assignments. Like a multi-channel DSP or something. You'd think this wouldn't be that difficult of a feature to implement. :(


Anyone else?
They're high-passed only. If the receivers crossover is set to 80hz, above that go to the speaker outputs, below 80 goes to the subwoofer rca pre-out.


When a receiver is set to bi-amp mode the same signal is sent to both outputs so it doesn't matter if the Front channel is connected to the high or low connection on the speaker. You can't send the highs to the Front speaker output and the bass to the Surround Back. When using the receivers internal crossover the high frequencies go to the speaker outputs and the bass to the subwoofer pre-out, even in bi-amp mode.


It might be easy to implement but they probably don't see that big of a need for it.
 

svaric2

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I see. That answered my question. :)


Many thanks for saving me hours of research, guys!
 

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